Rev. Col. John Hancock Jr. (June 1, 1702 – May 7, 1744) was a
colonial American clergy
Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
man, soldier, planter, politician, and father of politician
John Hancock III. Hancock was born in
Lexington, Massachusetts
Lexington is a suburban town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is 10 miles (16 km) from Downtown Boston. The population was 34,454 as of the 2020 census. The area was originally inhabited by Native Americans, and was firs ...
, He was the son of
Col. John Hancock Sr. and Elizabeth Clark.
Biography
Hancock graduated from
Harvard College
Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...
in 1719 and served as a librarian there from 1723 to 1726. He was
ordained
Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...
on November 2, 1726, and settled in
Quincy, Massachusetts, as pastor of
United First Parish Church, Quincy, Massachusetts until his death.
[Weis, Frederick Lewis (1977). ''The colonial clergy and the colonial churche s of New England.'' Genealogical Pub. Co., ] He also owned one
household slave.
[ ]
He died when his son John was seven years old, Soon after, John's mother sent him to live with his father's brother,
Thomas Hancock.
[Barthelmas, Della Gray (1997). ''The signers of the Declaration of Independence: a biographical and genealogical reference.'' McFarland, ] Hancock Cemetery
Hancock Cemetery is a historic cemetery on the Hancock Adams Common, across from the United First Parish Church, in Quincy, Massachusetts, United States. It is named after Reverend John Hancock (1702–1744), father of Founding Father John Hanco ...
in Quincy is named in his honor.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hancock, John Jr.
1702 births
1744 deaths
American slave owners
Burials in Massachusetts
Harvard College alumni
Hancock family of Massachusetts
Harvard University librarians
Massachusetts colonial-era clergy
People from Lexington, Massachusetts